Commission of a White Maltese Dog

11" x 14" Oil on Canvas

I enjoyed painting this little dog. I saw a lot of reflected light in the white fur. I hope I've captured his likeness. Here's my reference photo:

Pet Portrait with Red background

8" x 8" Acrylic on Canvas

This one is for sale at The Lona Gallery in downtown Lawrenceville, GA. This reference photo came from https://pmp-art.com. The dog's name is Lucy. 

Pug Pet Portrait

4" x 5" Acrylic on Canvas

I couldn't resist painting this little fellow...so cute!
SOLD

SaveSave

Learning watercolor

These are the techniques I'm learning:
Tea or flat wash
Graded wash
Blended wash
overlaid wash
wet n wet wash...and dry brush...

From my sketchbook...

Botanical Illustration Coursework

....spending more time in my sketchbook these days...

Rudbeckia fulgida- Final Graphite

More drawing practice...

practicing my drawing..

More sketches from my class...

Here is a link to this course offered by Dianne Sutherland: http://www.botanicalart-online.com This class has a Facebook group that really keeps the students and teacher connected. I can't say enough good things about this course. I'm learning so much.

I'm taking a botanical illustration class with Dianne Sutherland from the UK online which I couldn't be more excited about. Here are some leaf studies and a photo I took of this really cool looking weed called thistle. 

Bassmaster

8" x 10"

Oil on Canvas

Last time I was in Mississippi visiting my folks my mother and I went fishing with my dad. Here he is showing off his catch and very proudly.  

Before The Concert

6" x 6"

Oil on Gesso Board

Here's one painted from a reference photo taken at the Brookwood Philharmonic Orchestra Concert. Before the concert all of the musicians take a few minutes to tune their instruments. There is usually so much activity while everyone is preparing to begin. I was lucky enough to be sitting on the front row when I took this picture. There is a blue cast to the lighting in this room which compliments the warm burnt sienna color of the string instruments. 

Betty Mae

16" x 20"

Oil on Canvas 

This is a commission piece painted from the photo below. It was commissioned by her granddaughter  as a gift to her mother. I hope her mother likes it.

The Blue Dress - Reflection Series

oil on board

5 x 7

This is my daughter shopping for a prom dress. For her prom this year she picked a red dress but this blue one was a close second. 

Please join me...

 Click here: http://www.paintduluth.com

New York

Candy Town

6 x 8

Oil on Gesso Board

This is a small abstract study for the larger painting below. In this one I'm working out my colors that I used in the larger piece. This one below will be for sale at LONA Gallery in downtown Lawrenceville, GA

Waiting to Walk

16 x 20

Oil on Canvas

Urban Morning

9" x 12"

Oil on Canvas Board

We were in New York at the end of March to watch my daughter's orchestra play at Carnegie Hall. It was a fabulous performance and I'm one proud mom. She is second chair first row in this photo.

While there we toured New York. This was my first time to see the city.

Jesus

Jesus

16" x 20"

oil on canvas

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
SaveSave

Saucer Magnolia

Here is a color pencil study of a saucer magnolia blossom. This one is a blossom from the tree in my front yard - drawn from life.

Sims Lake Park Plein Air

Yesterday was gorgeous! The sky was so blue and I can tell that Spring will be here soon. Everything is beginning to bloom and this is just the start. Can't wait for Atlanta during spring! Here's my oil painting from yesterday. Kay Hibbard another artist friend of mine and I came here to set up an paint. Her website with her beautiful work can be found here: http://kayhibbard.com. We were only there a little over 2 hours and the light was changing on the pine tree that I was painting and shadows on the ground. This picture doesn't show the beautiful bright contrast that I started with. Now I have so many paintings to finish. At least this one captured that moment when the light was just right.

Payne-Corley House Studies

In Progress - Saucer Magnolia Watercolor botanical

My artist friends and I went plein air painting here at the Payne-Corley House in Duluth, GA late Friday afternoon. There is a beautiful (and famous) saucer magnolia tree in the front yard. I read on their website that this tree is the largest one of its kind in the state of Georgia. Even though my plein air piece is worthy of the trash can I did get plenty of reference photos while we were there. I'm using one of the reference photos to paint this watercolor botanical. ...still have a ways to go before its finished.

Payne-Corley House Duluth, GA - Gouache

Here is one of my gouache value sketches of this beautiful home. I feel like a fish out of water with this new medium and figured I better start with a value study before adding a full palette. This piece was also painted in my studio using a reference photo.

Two Magnolia Trees - Moleskin Sketchbook

Here is a watercolor sketch on a cloudy day. I have been extra busy with my graphic design work and   have not spent much time at all painting. Whenever I take the time to paint, usually at the end of the day, I'm refreshed because it helps me to unwind. The kind of graphics work I've been doing is super focused environmental graphic design involving bank way finding signage. Pretty much the exact opposite of this. It's a nice balance.
I hope to keep experimenting with watercolor and gouache more and more. This medium takes no time to set up and travel with. My family and I are taking a trip soon up the east coast and I plan to do a little plein air painting if they let me. I want to improve in these water media skills for just that reason.

From My Sketchbook

9"x 12" 

Ink Wash/Watercolor

Here is a sketch from my sketchbook. This was drawn from a photo of a recent trip my kids and I took to IKEA.
I'm glad to say that I was able to paint or draw for 23 of the 30 days.  This was a fun challenge and I hope to continue to paint daily and upload work to this blog once every week. Here is a link to the finished work of the artists that participated. It's fun to see all of the collages https://www.saetastudio.com/30-in-30-blog. Hope to do it again later this year!

Tonal Harmony II (In Progress) - Day 22

Here's an update to this post (Day 23 - Jan 30th)

Still in progress...

12" x 12"

Oil on Canvas

Here's the larger piece that I've started from the smaller oil study below. Hope to finish this painting this week.

Tonal Harmony - Day 21

5" x 5"

oil on board

Here's a quick oil color study. This was a concert played at The Classic Center in Athens, GA. These are orchestra high school students in a special choir called the Cello Bass Choir. They practice separately from their regular orchestra. One of them is my daughter. They played up on the balcony for the visitors that were entering the center.

Tomato Sandwich in January - Day 20

I drew my tomato sandwich last night in a sketch and wash carbon pencil then added watercolor to the painting to give it color....I still want to experiment with different water base mediums like gouache.

Part of the Wave - Day 19

This one is part of a much bigger piece. I'll include a link to "the whole piece" at the end of January when everyone has finished their part.

I'll Be At The Lake - Day 18

5"x7"

Oil on Canvas

Do you see my dad fishing? This is a lake in Pocahontas, Mississippi. When he goes there to fish sometimes I go with him with my plein air easel. 

Cello Player - Day 17

8" x 10"

Oil on Canvas

Here's the finished piece. I kept this loose because there is so much movement during these orchestral concerts. I wanted the painting to have that same gestural feeling.

Cello Player (In Progress) - Day 16

Here's another musical painting in oil that I've started..Will finish this tomorrow. So glad to be painting everyday and plan to keep going even after the 30 days.

Free Jam Session - Day 15

4' x 6" Sketchbook

Water-soluble Graphite and Watercolor on Hot Press Paper

Whenever my older son comes home to visit. He and my daughter pick up their instruments and start jamming. In this sketch, my son is playing my daughter's smaller guitar and she's playing her ukylalle (her normal instrument is the cello). He is in a band called Red Sea that just came back from touring the East coast. My daughter will be playing with her orchestra at Carnegie Hall later this spring. I'm one proud mom.

Also, I've painted for 15 days straight.... woohoo!...15 more to go in my 30 In 30.

Lunge Line Workout - Day 14

8" x 10"

Oil on Canvas

Whenever I'm stuck and not sure what to paint I go to the website called Paint My Photo. This  is a great site for artists because there is a variety of painting reference photos to choose from without the fear of infringing copyright. Members of the site graciously upload their own photos to display and share.

This photo is one that I immediately connected to because I grew up around horses. We had 100 acres and about 4 or 5 Quarter horses. I can remember how much joy we had from trail riding them but I can also remember the work that they required. Before going to school, I was up at dark, putting my boots on to feed and water them before leaving. I can imagine this young girl can relate.

SaveSave

Sisters - Day 13

7" x 9"

Acrylic on canvas board

My family and I go to Destin, Florida every summer and have been doing so for over 20 years. This past summer I took this photo of these two little girls that looked like sisters. My kids and I watched as they were carefully walking out into the shallow water. It reminded me of when my two boys were little.